


Falling for Shadows

by dark_angel_and_the_sun



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Boys Kissing, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Jiper, Kissing, M/M, frazel - Freeform, percabeth, solangelo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-19 22:17:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4763069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dark_angel_and_the_sun/pseuds/dark_angel_and_the_sun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>my version of how Will and Nico get together and live out their lives in a fairly ... interesting relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, I am an Aussie, and I will spell and write things the way I'm being taught, and I used up all my creativity for the title and what I've done so far of this fanfic, so I don't have any creative chapter names. Please don't get mad at me.

_ **~** **WILL~** _

       Will watched, just outside the infirmary, as Nico walked away from Percy and Annabeth, after talking to them. He frowned as he saw that Percy looked extremely confused and saw Annabeth trying not to laugh while comforting him. He could see that even from across the green. He wondered what Nico had said to make Percy look so confused.

       As Nico came closer, Will decided to drop it. Nico was staying in the infirmary and Will got to look after him. It was going to last at least three days.

       And maybe, _just maybe..._ No. Will refused to about that. Nico was too perfect in every way to like him. And hoping would only bring disappointment and despair.

       He decided to just be happy that Nico was not going to leave his sight for three days. As Nico came up to him, Will guided (although Nico says Will practically pulled his arm out, dragging him) into the infirmary.

      "Three days in the infirmary," Nico muttered, just loud enough for Will to hear. "Three days of time wasted."

       Will pouted. "Don't you want to spend time with me?"

       Nico glared and started to slow down. "You know, I'm beginning to regret my decision to stay here, I'm thinking it isn't going to be the brightest decision I've ever made."

       "Time doesn't start till you're in the infirmary!"

       Nico immediately sped up again.

* * *

_**~NICO~** _

       As Will led him into the infirmary, people stared a little, and Nico hung his head, trying to hide his face. Will showed him to a private room, handed him a hospital gown and told him to get changed.

       Nico looked at the gown, then back at Will. "You've got to be kidding."

       "Nope!" Will replied all too cheerfully. "Bathroom's just there. Get changed now. Doctor's orders!"

       Nico glared at him a little while longer, then trudged off to the bathroom.

       "You can keep wearing your pants," Will called after him, for which Nico was incredibly grateful.

* * *

**_ ~WILL~ _ **

       Will smiled as Nico came out in the hospital gown and the ripped skinny jeans. He started to frown slightly when he realised that the gown was the smallest size they had, and it still hung off of him like it was five sizes too big.

       "Bed, now," Will said sternly, pointing at the bed. Will smiled again when Nico scowled and sat on the edge of the bed, looking as though he wanted to run. If Will hadn't been so damn worried about Nico, he might have found it funny to think that the other boy was tensed up and ready to run... from him. A boy who had literally been through hell and back alone, was ready to run from _him_ of all people. A healer.

       Will quickly asked Nico about his medical history, seeing that no one had any medical records of him in America. Or from this century. Nico complained the entire time.

       "Is this really necessary?"

       "Yep!" Will replied with a cheerfulness he certainly didn't feel. "Unless you can somehow procure all of your medical records, without fault, right now, then this is all absolutely necessary."

       Nico groaned, grumbled and complained some more, but otherwise submitted to Will's gentle ministrations. He did tense up when Will took his pulse, but didn't pull away. He probably couldn't have if he'd tried.

       "Okay, check up's all done-" Will started.

       "Does that mean I can leave now?"

       "No. You still have three days in here. I was going to tell you to lie down and sleep."

       "What'll you do if I choose not to?"

       Will thought about that for a bit. "I suppose I could give you some form of a sedative, or just hold you down until you run out of energy and fall asleep."

       Nico promptly lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.

       Will smiled down at the son of Hades and said softly, "If you have nightmares, there are some sleeping pills on your bedside table." When Nico started snoring, Will got up and left to check on other patients, closing the door softly behind him.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico escapes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit of a short chapter, I couldn't really think of anything.

_**~WILL~** _

       Once his shift was over, Will went back in to check on Nico. He was still sleeping. _He really looks like an angel, like his surname,_ Will thought. As he watched, Nico stirred and woke.

       As he sleepily opened his eyes, Nico spoke. "When's dinner?"

       "About an hour ago, Death Boy. I'll see what I can cook up for you."

       "Do _**not**_ call me _**Death**_ **Boy!** "

       "You're my patient and I'll call you what I want. Doctor's orders!"

       "You and your stupid _doctor's orders_." Nico grumbled angrily.

       At that, Will smiled winningly, and left Nico to go get some dinner, leaving him to his angry mumblings. Once again, he closed the door softly behind him, making sure it was properly shut before heading to the kitchen.

* * *

_**~NICO~** _

       Who did Will think he was? How _dare_ he boss around Nico, the _Ghost King,_ around with his stupid doctor's orders?

       After a fair while of grumbling, Nico got up and tried the door. That stupid son of Apollo had locked it! Once again, Nico silently fumed.

       _That's it!_ he thought. _I'm shadow travelling out of here. Who cares what that stupid son of Apollo said._ After all, Will didn't know everything.

       A twinge of doubt made him hesitate for a moment. He thought about how he had nearly faded into the shadows last time. Nico shook those thoughts away.

       Will came into the room just as Nico faded away.

~~~

       He couldn't go far. He didn't have the strength or the energy. He got to the Hades cabin and blacked out immediately.

* * *

_**~WILL~** _

"Nico!" Will exclaimed, as he came into the room and saw Nico dissolve into shadows. _No,_ he thought, _Nico couldn't do this again, he'd disappear forever._

       Will couldn't take that. He'd thought Nico leaving camp forever was bad. That was nothing compared to how he felt now. Nico was just gone forever. No chance to see him now. No chance to ask him what he had wanted to ask him for a while now. No chance to be with Nico, whether it was as friends, or... or something more.

       All of this went through Will's head as sounded the distress alarm, bringing the camp back to life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They found Nico

_**~WILL~** _

       Chiron was the first one in the infirmary, closely followed by Percy, Annabeth, Jason and Piper.

       "What's happened?" demanded Chiron, over the general din from outside.

       Will looked up, worried, but he knew the importance of detail in these situations.

       "Nico had just woken up and I went to get him some dinner. I was gone for about ten minutes, and when I got back, he was shadow travelling out of the room. He shouldn't have had enough energy to raise a single bone from a grave yard, let alone shadow travel."

       Chiron, starting to appear slightly concerned, started organising people into search parties, looking through the camp and the surrounding area. Recognising Will would be all but useless in the state he was in for searching, he got Will to contact the Romans.

       Everyone dashed off to do what they were told.

**~~~**

       "Will, calm down!" Reyna exclaimed, "Tell me what happened from start to finish _in order!_ "

       As Will told Reyna exactly what had happened, her expression became more and more concerned.

       "We'll keep a lookout for him," Reyna said, effectively calming him down a bit. "We'll let you know if we find him."

       Just then, they were interrupted by Percy running in, face flushed and out of breath.

       "We've ... found him!" he said in between breaths with a ridiculously large and undoubtedly relieved look on his face.

       "Thank the gods! I'd better go tell Hazel. We'll be over A.S.A.P! You'd better be ready for us!" Reyna called out, as she shut down the Iris Message.

       Percy dragged Will up and across the camp, into the Hades cabin. Nico was lying there, on the floor, eyes closed, in a pool of shadows. Will moved to him and tried to roll him over. His hand passed right through Nico. Everyone started muttering in shock.

       "I can't treat him if I can't touch him," he said, almost to himself. "It's going to be a case of watching and waiting. He'll need twenty-four hour surveillance, at least until he can be moved."

       Everyone nodded. People started moving away.

       "Will there be a roster?" someone called out, bringing everyone still within earshot back.

       "Yes," Chiron said, "It shall be organised in the morning."

       Everyone started to drift off to their cabins once again. Will sat there, beside Nico, as he told Chiron that he was taking care of Nico until morning.

* * *

**_~NICO~_ **

       Nico had his usual dreams. They weren't really dreams, just nightmarish memories that always came to haunt him at night. Losing Bianca and the Labyrinth always haunted him. But now, there was a new memory. Worse than all the rest, which is saying a lot. Tartarus.

       He was back there again, stumbling through the unforgiving depths of hell, being chased by titans, giants and worse. Monsters that were ancient before the gods were born were after him. After his demigod blood. Nameless creatures, long since forgotten by the sunlit world above, had woken.

       All of a sudden, Tartarus was gone. In its place was a cabin. To be precise, the Hypnos cabin. Clovis was just in front of him, sitting in a comfy looking armchair.

       "Hey Nico," Clovis said, yawning and still looking sleepy, despite the fact that he was asleep and dreaming. "Jason asked me to do this. Said you needed the energy you were using up by thrashing in your sleep."

       "What do you mean, thrashing?"

       "Thrashing," Clovis said very helpfully. Nico glared daggers at him, so he elaborated further. "After you shadow travelled, no one knew where you were. Jason and Percy found you in the Hades cabin, unconscious in a pool of shadows. No one could even do so much as touch you! Once you were solid again, we moved you to your bed, and about a day later, you started thrashing. When you didn't stop after two or three hours, Jason asked me to do this."

       "How long have I been out?"

       "I, uh, kinda swore on the River Styx not to tell you that. Will made me!" Clovis finished with his hands up in the air in a 'please-don't-kill-me-I'm-innocent' sort of gesture.

       Nico decided to have some words with a certain son of Apollo when he woke up. Which would be now.

       And so Nico woke up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will gets told to got to sleep and refuses (why, I have no idea. sleep is amazing) and so he gets forced to sleep.

**_ ~WILL~ _ **

       Nico stirred. For a moment, Will panicked, thinking Clovis hadn't been able to keep his promise. When Nico's eyes opened, Will was shocked, to say the least.

       "Ugh... my head hurts," Nico croaked.

       Will helped him sit up, then held a cup of nectar to his mouth. Once he had finished, Will guided him back down.

       "How long was I out?"

       Instead of answering, Will went into doctor mode. He checked Nico's temperature, pulse, heart rate, and other vitals. Once he was done, he let Chiron, Jason and the others know.

       "Will? Are you going to answer me?"

       "Nope," Will answered, seeming to be trying to be his usual annoying, cheerful self, but failing miserably. Will was exhausted. He had large, dark bags under his eyes and his skin was pale. There had been a roster, but it was abandoned when Will refused to leave Nico's side. He had said that he wanted to be there if anything happened.

       Just as Will opened his mouth to ask more questions, Reyna and Hazel burst in. He didn't ask any more questions for a while after that - he was too busy trying to hide under his blankets while groaning. Reyna and Hazel happily solved that by promptly pulling the blankets back each time he tried to, grinning like the evil maniacs they were.

       Realising that Nico was in capable hands, Will got up and went to his cabin. At least that was the plan. Will managed the getting up part just fine, but he moment he started to even think about taking a step, his legs buckled and he fell down. Face first.

       If Reyna hadn't caught him, Will would probably be lying on the floor groaning.

       "It's Will, isn't it? Are you alright?" Reyna asked, then seemed to realise that that was a stupid question, seeing as he had just about collapsed only a few seconds before. "Wait, that was a stupid question. Don't answer it. If you were alright, you wouldn't have fallen in the first place. How long have you been here?"

       "The entire time he's been known to be like this."  
       "But that's been ..." Reyna caught on to the look Will was giving her - a _please-don't-let-him-know-the-actual-amount-of-time_ sort of look - and at the very last second changed what she was going to say. "... a while," she finished, making sure she didn't look at Nico, making sure he couldn't see the disbelief clearly showing in her eyes.

       "Let's get you to your cabin," Reyna said, quietly but firmly.

       With that, Will groaned, stopped half way through to yawn, and followed Reyna out into the sunlight, where he groaned again as it burned his eyes. _It's the first time I've been out of that cabin in days_ , Will thought.

       "You weren't kidding, were you?" Reyna said, once again quietly when she heard his reaction.

       "Just wondering, how long has it been since Nico shadow travelled?"

       "One week and two days."

       "Oops."

       "I think we might skip the cabin and go straight to the infirmary."  
       "Okay" Will said. Really, what else was he supposed to say when faced with someone like Reyna? At least, while retaining his limbs and his life.

       They got to the infirmary, and Will hadn't collapsed once on the way there, although he was leaning quite heavily on Reyna for support.

       "Bout bloody time!" Kayla, Will's second in command, called out when she saw him. "We've been trying to get him in here all week!"

       Will was led to a bed, and then Reyna left. That's when Will started to struggle. Kayla held him down with ease, which really alarmed Will.

       "Do I have to get Clovis in here?" Kayla asked, deadly serious.

       "No. And you don't have to keep me here. I can sleep just fine in my own bed, thankyou very much."

       "Can someone get Clovis in here!" Kayla demanded.

       Will was starting to really panic now. If they could get him to sleep, there was no was he would be getting out of here any time soon. Unfortunately, he knew that Kayla also knew that, and she would stop at nothing to get him to sleep because she thought it would help him. Also, rather unfortunately in Will's opinion, Kayla was just as stubborn as him. Although she wasn't normally as strong as he was, Will was in poor condition and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold his own.

       Clovis was rushed into his room and Will's exhaustion was amplified. Will fought against it, but it just made him more tired. The world around him seemed to spin. He kept fighting the exhaustion, kept trying to keep it at bay, but it was like trying to keep your head above water in a rough sea, with your hands tied behind your back and twenty kilo weights tied to each foot. Eventually, Will wasn't sure when, he gave in and fell asleep, drowning in exhaustion and dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico eats blue food and Will is locked in the infirmary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there are any mistakes. My laptop decided to be annoying and so I had to use my phone, which I am admittedly unused to using, for the Nico section.

** _~NICO~_ **

      Nico looked up as Reyna got back. She sat down by his bed for a little while, then looked up at Hazel. 

       "Come on, Hazel. Let's let Nico get some rest." She suggested quietly. Hazel nodded in agreement and they left the room.

       After about ten minutes, Percy came into the cabin with a lot food. Absolutely all of it was blue.  _Seriously,_ Nico thought,  _what is it with this guy and blue food?_

Without thinking, Nico asked "What is it with you and blue food? "

      "Inside joke. With my mom."

       Percy helped  Nico up and tried to feed him. Nico glared and slapped his hands away, saying that he could feed himself. In response, Percy wrapped an arm behind Nico and held both of his wrists in one hand, effectively holding him still.

       "Now you can't feed yourself," said Percy, grinning cockily. How could he ever have had a crush on this guy? Nico wondered, all the while glaring at Percy, not letting him see what he was thinking.

       The two of them sat there like that, Percy forcing Nico to eat blue food until at least half of it was gone. After that, Percy got up and left, leaving Nico and telling him to get some sleep.

* * *

** _~WILL~_ **

       He wasn't sure how long it had been. A couple of days at least. Will opened his eyes, half expecting to be yelled at, half expecting no one to be in the room with him. What he was most certainly _not_ expecting was to see Kayla looking at him in shock.

       "Clovis said you'd be out for a day and a half _at least!_ You've barely been out for half a day!" Kayla exclaimed.

       "I've rested, so I'm leaving." Will said. He tried to get up. Kayla promptly pushed him back down.

       "You are not going anywhere until I say you can."

       "Actually..."

       "No ifs, buts, actuallys or anything else like that. No using words with more than six letters and no using medical terms. You are the patient and that's that!"

       "But-"

       "No buts!"

       "But-"

       " **No buts!** "

       "But-"

       " **NO BUTS!** "

       "Just about all of my sentences either have or start with those words you mentioned. _All_ of my sentences contain words with more than six letters. And _most_ of my sentences contain medical terminology!"

       "Then you're not going to be talking much, are you? And you used a whole heap of words with over six letters just then." Kayla replied mildly.

       Will let go a growl of frustration and looked up at the ceiling, silently asking the gods "Why me? Why?".

       "I think I might even put a sign up so everyone knows," Kayla said thoughtfully.

       "No no no no no no no no no no, and in case you didn't get it the first ten times, _no_ _!_ "

       "I dunno, this place could use some decoration. I think it would look just perfect, right over there in blue and yellow," Kayla suggested, gesturing at the wall directly across from the door, where everyone would see it as they walked in.

       "You put it up, I leave." Will said matter-of-factly.

       "We put it up, chain you to the bed, you don't leave," Kayla replied in the same tone. Will growled, once again in frustration.

       "Okay, new rule. Will is not allowed to growl in frustration." Kayla said, enjoying bossing Will around way too much.

       "You do realise-" Will started.

       "You're breaking two of the rules!"

       "-I am the cabin counsellor, and so you can't boss me around."

       "Unless Chiron decides that you are for any reason unable to be in charge, such as being sick, severely injured, or basically confined to the infirmary for any reason, and Chiron has decided that you are too tired to leave the infirmary for at least five days."

       "He didn't say anything about staying in bed," Will pointed out.

       "No, but he put me in charge in your stead, so I can tell you what to do, and the moment, I'm telling you not to leave your bed. And if you break the rules any more, I will keep you in here for half a day longer each time."

       "Just wondering, who's looking after Nico?"

       "That's another half day, and I am."

       "Where is he?"

       "In the infirmary."

       "Where abouts in the infirmary?"

       "I aint telling you. Its confidential. And that's six days in the infirmary."

       "Which room am I in?"

       "Once again, I aint telling you. It says right here," Kayla said writing something down, "That that information is to be kept confidential from all people by the name Will Solace."

      Will layed there and glared.

      "Well, I'm going to go check on some of the other patients. You should get some more rest." With that, Kayla left. The moment the door closed, Will got out of bed and tried to open it. It was locked.

       _This must be how Nico felt_ , Will thought.

       Kayla opened a slot in the door. "Ha," she said, closing it immediately.

       That gave Will all the information he needed to know. Will knew the infirmary better than the back of his hand. He had been working in it since he was about nine, after all. There was only one door like that in the infirmary.

       He was in the 'Difficult' wing of the infirmary where injuries - or patients - that were difficult were treated. Before he had come in, there been two empty rooms in this wing. He would have to be in room D5, and Nico, who was a difficult patient usually with difficult injuries, would have to be in room D3. Right next door.

      Will was starting to get really frustrated with the door locked, preventing him from checking on Nico. Will didn't realise it, but he was pacing back and forth like a caged tiger.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will is given a deal. And Nico has trypanophobia. And yes that is an actual word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a day late. School happened. Its the beginning of term, as in we've only been back for three days, and they've already given two tests, planned another for tomorrow and got a few coming up.

**_ ~NICO~ _ **

       Someone came into his cabin. and woke him up. Well, actually, _they_ didn't wake him up. The sunlight did.

       Nico pulled the covers up over his head. "Get out." he called out, his voice muffled by the blankets.

       Instead of getting out, the intruders - he could now tell there were more than one - came over to his bed. They pulled the covers away, and basically started being an annoying nuisance to Nico. He opened his eyes, groaned and closed them again. _Children of Apollo_ , he thought distastefully, _annoying, headstrong idiots, the lot of them._

       "What do you want?" he grumbled angrily.

       Instead of replying, they grabbed him, lifted him up, then put him back down again. That was about when Nico started to struggle.

       "Nico, calm down!" one of them told him as they pinned him down, preventing him from getting free. "We're just going to move you to the infirmary."

       That only got Nico to struggle more.

       "That's it! Where are the sedatives?"

       Something was jabbed into his arm. Nico opened his eyes again to look. There was a large _needle_ stuck in his arm! A _needle!_ Nico wasn't scared of ghosts, monsters or gods. They were an unavoidable part of everyday life for demigods. There was no point in being scared of them. But _needles..._ needles terrified him. Things weren't supposed to get stuck into your arm, unless it was by an enemy. They had an excuse. Other than that though, it just wasn't right.

       Nico couldn't say or explain what happened next. He was just _so_ terrified that he kinda just lost control.

       According to Kayla, he was suddenly as still as death, then skeletons erupted from the ground by the hundreds. It happened _everywhere_ in camp. In the end, Piper came in and charmspoke Nico into stopping.

       Nico came to about ten seconds later. He didn't remember a thing. He was way too tired to struggle as the Apollo kids took him to the infirmary,

       Once there, he fell asleep, and didn't wake up for the rest of the day.

 

**_ ~WILL~ _ **

       Will heard the door get unlocked. He stayed still, continuing his heavy breathing, refusing to open his eyes.

       Someone sighed. "Will, I know you're faking. You sleep a lot lighter than that, and you only breathe _that_ heavily after training." said a voice that sounded suspiciously like  Kayla's. "I also know that you're probably angry because I locked you in here, but it was for your own good. You would've just gotten up and walked out of here otherwise, wouldn't you?"

       "Yeah," Will answered quietly.

       "I have a deal for you. You can get up and walk around where ever you want, and I'll leave the door unlocked," Kayla started.

       "Sounds good so far," Will said cautiously.

       " _But_ ," Will groaned, and  Kayla continued on anyway. "You aren't allowed out of the infirmary or to help out with any of the patients except Nico, because no one other than yourself knows exactly how to."

       "Am I allowed to speak the way I normally do?"

       "If you agree, yes, if you don't agree, no."

       "Then I agree," Will said with a sigh of reluctance. Kayla grinned, knowing that the sigh was fake, and Will was actually ridiculously happy to not be cooped up in bed all day.

       Will got up and walked out the door, grinning like a madman. _First stop_ , Will thought, _Nico's room_. He looked around a little to get his bearings. He was quite shocked to find himself in a completely different ward to what he thought he was in. He turned around to ask Kayla what ward he was in, and where Nico was, when she started speaking.

       "Yeah, we kinda had the doors switched to keep you disoriented. You're in the recovery ward, and Nico's right next door, to your left." She suddenly found the floor a lot more interesting than anything else inn the room.

       "Why?" Will was currently uber confused. "I mean, why would you want to keep me disoriented? And how did you change the doors so quickly and quietly?"

       "We wanted to keep you disoriented so you wouldn't be able to get out of here as quickly if you managed to get out of your room."

       "And the door?"

       "Uh... Um... Leo's back."

       "What! but-"

       "He's supposed to be dead, we know, but he came back on his dragon with a girl that everyone just thought was some random girl he had managed to pick up along the way, but turns out, she's Calypso."

       "Calypso. As in _the_ Calypso?"

       "Yep!" Kayla slowly realised the effect this talk was having on Will. "You go into doctor mode, and you go back to bed."

       "But they might be sick or injured-"

       "And the rest of us van take care of that."

       "But-"

       "Will, we are dangerously close to going back to the no buts rule."

       "Fine," Will said, and he walked off to Nico's room.

**Author's Note:**

> I will try to update at least once a week, but sorry in advance if this doesn't happen. Please leave comments and kudos :P


End file.
